MSNBC Airs Prank Call During Malaysia Airlines Coverage

UPDATED: Host Krystal Ball was on the phone with a witness who turned out to be a prank caller.

During coverage of the crashed Malaysia airlines jet on MSNBC's The Cycle, a caller who referenced Howard Stern made it on the air and said several crude remarks before being cut off.

MSNBC host Krystal Ball was on the phone with a witness who was described to be a military expert — but turned out to be a prank caller. The caller, who presumably used a false identity of Staff Sgt. Michael Boyd, was asked what he saw from the crash site.

"Well, I was looking out the window and I saw a projectile flying through the sky, and it would appear that the plane was shot down by a blast of wind from Howard Stern's ass," the caller said. As Ball continued her line of questioning, the caller mocked the host before being cut off.

"This was an unfortunate incident and we immediately clarified for our viewers," an MSNBC spokesperson said to THR.